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ENDING FEAR // Blog Tour & Guest Post

My dear Dragons, today I am proud to present author Deanna Fugett, who is with us today to share with us about her writing process, in celebration of her debut novel, Ending Fear's, release! Ending Fear releases in one week's time and I'll be telling you more about it in a moment, but for now I'm passing the mic to Deanna! 😄

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What does my writing process look like, you ask?

That question actually makes me laugh. Why? I have four kids and I'm a big disorderly mess. Yeah, you heard that right. A mess, I tell ya.

I wish I could say I have a straightforward process, one I follow every day. Some sort of pattern, or schedule or even some sort of semblance of order for my writing. But I don't. Creative types tend to be pretty scattered and chaotic. I've always said that I thrive on the chaos. But that's not always true. Sometimes chaos is to my detriment. Sometimes it can be a very bad thing when I miss deadlines or forget something super important. I hate when that kind of thing happens.

It's funny too, because my mom used to say I was such an organized kid, and so good at organization and planning and all that stuff. Then my children happened and it all kind of went out the door. But that's okay. It's the way I function for now. And it's working... mostly.

My publisher sent me a planner a bit ago. I think that was a not-so-subtle wink-wink, like, "Get your act together, lady!" Even this post I'm writing at the moment is "late." But for the most part my creativity can work at its best when I'm not constrained by schedules. Not always.

My normal writing day can be summed up like this: "Work as much as possible, as fast as possible when the kids are away or otherwise preoccupied. Whenever and wherever you are, get those thoughts down quick! Scramble for words, cut them out of your heart if you have to, but get them on paper!" I am a huge binge writer. I won't write for weeks and then I'll write nonstop for weeks straight. That's kind of been my process. Once I'm in the "zone" it's really hard to get out of until my project feels complete.

I do have to be flexible, of course, since I'm a mommy and a wife, and my family always needs to come first. But sometimes, I just have to look a kid in the eye and say, "Mom's working. I really need to get this done right now." That's the hard part about working from home. No one really respects your work time because you're not away in the "office."

It's a delicate balance.

If there was a nine-to-five office I could escape to, I doubt anyone would interrupt then, because they would consider it a "real" job. It's not really fair to us writers that this isn't regarded as a real job just because we have to do our work at home. But that's just the way it is.

When I wrote the first draft of Ending Fear I literally did nothing but (other than dishes and laundry) write for two months straight. I poured my heart and soul into the book and wrenched it out of my brain. When I was done I was exhausted. I sat back, looked around and said, "Oh my gosh, this house is a mess." LOL. But I had done it. I completed the task. The next few years have been devoted to editing that messy first draft.

People have asked me if I eat snacks when I write. I don't usually. I usually just drink cappuccinos. I don't want crumbs in my keyboard, thank you very much. That being said, all those fancy Instagram photos that writers put up with their coffee right next to their keyboard makes me cringe. "Are you not scared of spilling your coffee and ruining your precious laptop?!?!" I want to scream at the photo. Needless to say, I'm slightly paranoid and keep my cappuccino safely on another surface, far, far away from my computer.

I think every writer's biggest fear should be a dead laptop. But that's what my story is about. Conquering your fears. Maybe I should learn from my characters and quit worrying so much. Or not. I still have a few more books in this series to get this Ending Fear stuff under control. 🙂

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A very special thank you to Deanna for taking the time to share her writing process for Ending Fear with us! 💗

And now...

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Gliding Lands, book one

Fourteen-year-old Fear learns she was a parachute baby, dumped over the edge of the Gliding Lands as an infant. Fascinated by the floating cities in the sky before, now she's desperate for answers. But a slave isn't likely to get those answers.

When her abusive Downer family throws her from their hovel, Fear takes refuge with a family who shows her love for the first time. Surely they can't be trusted. Years of abuse and molestation have taught her that.

Then her brother discovers where she's hiding and tries to kidnap her. Fear will never let him touch her again. Her new family conceals her at the Fallen, a ranch that hides parachute babies from the Uppers who discarded them.

Just as she's beginning to embrace yet another home, Fear's new little sister, Happy, is kidnapped and taken to the Uppers' temple harem. Fear must go against her namesake, find a working hoverpod, and journey to the dreaded Gliding Lands before the little girl's innocence is ripped from her forever.

Can she save Happy in time? And will she find answers to the burning question of why anyone would throw her away?

Deanna Fugett's heart belongs to writing. Author of edgy, YA dystopian fiction with an underlying message of hope, this stay-at-home mom of four focuses on writing as much as humanly possible. She was first published at the age of six in a local newspaper, and is excited to be published again. It only took twenty-six years. She enjoys the thrill of writing fiction that deals with intense topics and prays it will impact people for the better.

Find the rest of the clues by visiting the other tour stops below. Once you've figured out the magical sentence these fourteen clues form, visit the scavenger hunt entry form to enter your name in the drawing!

MORE ENDING FEAR FUN

Ending Fear is also releasing with... a coloring book! Illustrated by Keighley Kindig, you can learn more about the novel's companion by visiting L2L2's website, or checking out a few of the other stops along the tour.

On July twentieth, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM (Pacific time), L2L2 is hosting a celebratory Facebook party, featuring epic prizes, games, and get-to-know-the-author trivia! Learn more about the party here.

I'm so thrilled for Deanna, and ecstatic about Ending Fear! I adore this story so much! Deanna expertly handles the tough topics with a magnificent writing style and gorgeous character voice. Overall, Ending Fear is AMAZING. Deanna has quickly leapt onto my list of most favorite authors ever. 😍

I LOVE this interview and Deanna can I just hug you?? I can't tell you how much I resonate with your thoughts, especially on the cringing of drinks looking pretty by computers. Um no, just no. Also, I love that you shared you think a writer's greatest fear should be a dead laptop. Great interview!

Also, Liv, I can't wait to read this book!! Loved hearing your thoughts at the end of this post! Made me excited! ;)

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Liv K. Fisher is a Christian, author, actress, blogger, and nerd. She never outgrew her obsession with unicorns, and, when she isn't writing, she enjoys Celtic music, photography, reading, gardening, baking, and studying mythology. Liv resides in the chaparrals of southern California, where she lives with her parents and two dogs. She currently does not have any published works, but she hopes to, soon, and writes often.